One of the principal characters in A Maiden’s Honor doesn’t say a single word. It’s the Algerian Palace, and it serves as a backdrop to more than half of the story. It is a place that is filled with beauty, and yet it can be terrifying at the same time. The Algerian Palace is also a real place. Sadly, I’ve only seen this palace through pictures. It’s not likely that I will ever visit Algiers. Thankfully, I’ve had opportunities to visit the Sultan’s Palace in Istanbul and the Alhambra, in Granada, Spain. Both are beautiful examples of Moorish architecture. Through the pictures of the Algerian Palace and visits to the Alhambra and the Sultan’s Palace, I was able to bring the palace sections to life in A Maiden’s Honor.

So what qualifies as Moorish architecture anyway? I’ll be the first to admit that I am not an expert by any stretch of the imagination, but the mosques and the palaces that I visited have arched doorways, tiled mosaic walls, and beautiful courtyard gardens with a fountain in the center. Only the Alhambra had intricately carved ceilings. The old picture below hints that the Algerian Palace had them too. It's curious that the Sultan's Palace didn't have carved ceilings, or maybe it did. I only saw a few rooms. I was so blown away by the Alhambra’s architecture that I had to incorporate it into my depiction of the Algerian Palace. Here are a few examples I used to build the Algerian Palace in A Maiden’s Honor. All but the pictures of the Sultan’s Palace came from my go-to source for royalty free pictures, Pixabay. The pictures of the Sultan’s Palace are mine.

The Real Algerian Palace

This is an old drawing of one of the meeting rooms. If you look closely, you will you will see carved ceilings! This picture was the inspiration for one of the scenes in A Maiden's Honor.

One of the corridors in the Algerian Palace

I get the feeling that the real Algerian Palace wasn't as opulent as the Sultan's Palace. A Maiden's Honor is a fictional story. I'm allowed to use a little poetic license.

Topkapi Palace (The Sultan's Palace), Istanbul, Turkey

Isn't this palace gorgeous?

One of the corridors. This picture also helped me to envision Naa'il Dhar on one of his morning strolls.

A sitting room similar the ones in the harem

Tiles in the Sultan's Palace

Stain glass lanterns in the Sultan's Palace

Stained-glass window

The Alhambra, Granada, Spain

The Alhambra's carved ceilings provided the inspiration for my descriptions of the Algerian Palace. Aren's they stunning?

This room shows the tiles with the carved ceiling. This style was consistent through the Alhambra.

One of the many fountains

.f you ever visit Spain, make a trip to Granada. Seeing the Alhambra with your own eyes will blow you away, at least that was my reaction.

Hopefully, these pictures will help you envision my Algerian Palace in A Maiden's Honor. I couldn't have envisioned this palace without them.